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| IT is the midnight hour;—the beauteous sea, | |
| Calm as the cloudless heaven, the heaven discloses, | |
| While many a sparkling star, in quiet glee, | |
| Far down within the watery sky reposes. | |
| As if the ocean’s heart were stirred | 5 |
| With inward life, a sound is heard, | |
| Like that of dreamer murmuring in his sleep; | |
| ’T is partly the billow, and partly the air | |
| That lies like a garment floating fair | |
| Above the happy deep. | 10 |
| The sea, I ween, cannot be fanned | |
| By evening freshness from the land, | |
| For the land it is far away; | |
| But God hath willed that the sky-born breeze | |
| In the centre of the loneliest seas | 15 |
| Should ever sport and play. | |
| The mighty moon she sits above, | |
| Encircled with a zone of love, | |
| A zone of dim and tender light | |
| That makes her wakeful eye more bright: | 20 |
| She seems to shine with a sunny ray, | |
| And the night looks like a mellowed day! | |
| The gracious Mistress of the Main | |
| Hath now an undisturbéd reign, | |
| And from her silent throne looks down, | 25 |
| As upon children of her own, | |
| On the waves that lend their gentle breast | |
| In gladness for her couch of rest! | |
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| My spirit sleeps amid the calm | |
| The sleep of a new delight; | 30 |
| And hopes that she ne’er may wake again, | |
| But forever hang o’er the lovely main, | |
| And adore the lovely night. | |
| Scarce conscious of an earthly frame, | |
| She glides away like a lambent flame, | 35 |
| And in her bliss she sings; | |
| Now touching softly the ocean’s breast, | |
| Now mid the stars she lies at rest, | |
| As if she sailed on wings! | |
| Now bold as the brightest star that glows | 40 |
| More brightly since at first it rose, | |
| Looks down on the far-off flood, | |
| And there, all breathless and alone, | |
| As the sky where she soars were a world of her own | |
| She mocketh that gentle mighty one | 45 |
| As he lies in his quiet mood. | |
| “Art thou,” she breathes, “the tyrant grim | |
| That scoffs at human prayers, | |
| Answering with prouder roar the while, | |
| As it rises from some lonely isle, | 50 |
| Through groans raised wild, the hopeless hymn | |
| Of shipwrecked mariners? | |
| Oh, thou art harmless as a child | |
| Weary with joy, and reconciled | |
| For sleep to change its play; | 55 |
| And now that night hath stayed thy race, | |
| Smiles wander o’er thy placid face | |
| As if thy dreams were gay.” | |
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| And can it be that for me alone | |
| The main and heavens are spread? | 60 |
| Oh, whither, in this holy hour, | |
| Have those fair creatures fled, | |
| To whom the ocean-plains are given | |
| As clouds possess their native heaven? | |
| The tiniest boat, that ever sailed | 65 |
| Upon an inland lake, | |
| Might through this sea without a fear | |
| Her silent journey take, | |
| Though the helmsman slept as if on land, | |
| And the oar had dropped from the rowers’ hand. | 70 |
| How like a monarch would she glide, | |
| While the husht billow kissed her side | |
| With low and lulling tone, | |
| Some stately ship, that from afar | |
| Shone sudden, like a rising star, | 75 |
| With all her bravery on! | |
| List! how in murmurs of delight | |
| The blessed airs of heaven invite | |
| The joyous bark to pass one night | |
| Within their still domain! | 80 |
| O grief! that yonder gentle moon, | |
| Whose smiles forever fade so soon, | |
| Should waste such smiles in vain. | |
| Haste! haste! before the moonshine dies | |
| Dissolved amid the morning skies, | 85 |
| While yet the silvery glory lies | |
| Above the sparkling foam; | |
| Bright mid surrounding brightness, thou, | |
| Scattering fresh beauty from thy prow, | |
| In pomp and splendor come! | 90 |
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| And lo! upon the murmuring waves | |
| A glorious shape appearing! | |
| A broad-winged vessel, through the shower | |
| Of glimmering lustre steering! | |
| As if the beauteous ship enjoyed | 95 |
| The beauty of the sea, | |
| She lifteth up her stately head | |
| And saileth joyfully. | |
| A lovely path before her lies, | |
| A lovely path behind; | 100 |
| She sails amid the loveliness | |
| Like a thing with heart and mind. | |
| Fit pilgrim through a scene so fair, | |
| Slowly she beareth on; | |
| A glorious phantom of the deep, | 105 |
| Risen up to meet the moon. | |
| The moon bids her tenderest radiance fall | |
| On her wavy streamer and snow-white wings, | |
| And the quiet voice of the rocking sea | |
| To cheer the gliding vision sings. | 110 |
| Oh, ne’er did sky and water blend | |
| In such a holy sleep, | |
| Or bathe in brighter quietude | |
| A roamer of the deep. | |
| So far the peaceful soul of heaven | 115 |
| Hath settled on the sea, | |
| It seems as if this weight of calm | |
| Were from eternity. | |
| O world of waters! the steadfast earth | |
| Ne’er lay entranced like thee! * * * * * | 120 |
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